It’s August. Time to squeeze the last juice out of summer. Then take a leisurely look at fall Jewish programs and opportunities. If you don’t yet have a synagogue this is a good time to look around. You can look online to see what synagogues are near you by simply Googling “synagogues near me” or use the name of the town you live in. Look up their websites and find out what time they hold services. Take a look at their calendar and see if they have any special musical or outdoor or kids Shabbat services coming up. Those will have a casual atmosphere. If you are feeling anxious about “showing up” just shoot me an email at dawn@buildingjewishbridges.org and tell me which bay area synagogues you are interested in attending. I’ll find someone friendly to go with you to services.
EVENTS
Rabbis Roundtable: The Day After (Foster City)
Prospective Member Open House (Pleasanton)
Chardonnay Shabbat (Berkeley)
Jewish Yoga (San Francisco)
Collaborative Selichot Service (San Francisco)
Music Together© -Sing Shalom (Lafayette)
Rosh Hashanah with Tri-Valley Cultural Jews (Livermore)
Little Garden Jewish Playgroup (Lafayette)
How to Read the Bible (San Francisco)
Rabbis Roundtable: The Day After
We make great effort in preparing for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, but what impact do these days have on our lives? What will we do the day after? Join community rabbis who will discuss how we might cultivate the teachings and ideas of the High Holidays after they are over.
Faciliated by Rabbi Lavey Derby of the PJCC. Featuring Rabbi Nat Ezray of Congregation Beth Jacob, Rabbi Corey Helfand of Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Rabbi Dennis Eisner of Peninsula Temple Beth El, and Rabbi Dan Feder of Peninsula Temple Sholom.
Date: Aug. 22
Time: 7:30 to 9pm
Place: Peninsula JCC, 800 Foster City Blvd, Foster City
Details here
This program is free but space is limited and pre-registration is required.
Register today! pjcc.org | 650.378.2703
Prospective Member Open House
Curious about Congregation Beth Emek? Time to go to the annual Open House, where you can meet the staff and lay leaders of the congregation, get a tour of the religious school and pre-school classrooms and sanctuary, and ask questions about membership.
Date: Sunday, August 26
Time: 10:00a – Noon
Place: Beth Emek Social Hall, 3400 Nevada Court, Pleasanton
For more information, contact Barry, Membership Chair, at membership@bethemek.org
Chardonnay Shabbat
Celebrate the joy of Shabbat and the early summer evening with a glass of wine or juice, light snacks and song. Chardonnay Shabbat begins at 5:30 pm; Shabbat evening services are at 6:15 pm. Join us for this fun, informal Shabbat gathering.
Date: Friday, Aug. 31
Time: 5:30 pm
Place: Beth El, 1301 Oxford Street, Berkeley
www.bethelberkeley.org
Jewish Yoga
Join us as we bring in Shabbat with movement, chants and intention. Wear comfortable clothing you can move in. Bring your own mat if you have one. If not, you can borrow one of ours! Led by Rabbi Copeland.
Date: Friday, August 31
Time: 6:00 pm
Place: Sha’ar Zahav, 290 Dolores St., San Francisco
Collaborative Selichot Service in San Francisco
Join Ner Tamid, B’nai Emunah and Beth Israel Judea for their Collaborative Selichot Service as we begin our spiritual preparation and usher in the High Holy Days:
7:00pm Dessert Buffet sponsored by Beverlee Hassid, in memory of Sandy Goldbrener
7:30pm Recital of Classical, Romantic, and Traditional pieces by Ner Tamid’s Musical Trio: Camellia Rodriguez-SackByrne, flute; Jon Lee, piano; and Adam Scow, violin
8:15pm Havdalah, Candlelight Procession and Dedication of Ner Tamid’s New Memorial Plaques
8:45pm A modern Selichot Service led by Rabbi Shana, Rabbi Danny, Rabbi Pam, Cantor Rudy, and Cantor Ricki
Date: Saturday, Sept. 1
Time: Begins at 7pm
Place: Ner Tamid, 1250 Quintara St, San Francisco
Free and All are Welcome!
Please RSVP to Ner Tamid before August 24th for Buffet Planning
Our Selichot program is presented by Ner Tamid, B’nai Emunah & Beth Israel Judea
Music Together© -Sing Shalom
Free Demo Class – Friday, September 7 from 9:15-10:00am in the Temple Isaiah Adult Lounge
FREE demo class introducing Music Together’s newest class for children ages 0-5 and their parents/caregivers. Brought to you by East Bay Music Together and Temple Isaiah, Music Together Sing Shalom combines the best of the internationally recognized music education program for families with a new supplemental Jewish play list. Sing Shalom classes introduce Jewish themes, holidays, and celebrate community and family through song. Teachers and activities support parents and caregivers in introducing their children to a diverse, culturally rich Jewish heritage. Families enrolled in the fall receive Music Together song collection materials (book, CD, download code) PLUS links and song sheets for the new supplemental Jewish music.
Session Schedule – Fridays, September 14 to November 16 from 9:15-10:00am in the Temple Isaiah Adult Lounge
Our new Music Together® Sing Shalom class combines everything you love about the internationally recognized Music Together early childhood music education program with a carefully selected collection of familiar (and not-so-familiar) Jewish songs from throughout the world. Music Together Sing Shalom introduces Jewish themes, holidays, and celebrates community through song, supporting parents and caregivers in introducing their children to a diverse, culturally rich Jewish heritage. Music Together Sing Shalom is offered through East Bay Music Together and Temple Isaiah, in collaboration with The Jewish Education Project with funding by UJA-Federation of New York.
Free Demo Class is Friday, Sept. 7
Dates: Fridays, September 14 to November 16
Time: 9:15-10:00am
Place: Temple Isaiah Adult Lounge, 945 Risa Rd., Lafayette
Cost: $230 for the ten week session.
Register here
Rosh Hashanah with Tri-Valley Cultural Jews
Join Tri-Valley Cultural Jews in celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the start of the Jewish New Year, on September 9. We will start with Tashlich (4:30), which is a walk to the nearby creek to symbolically wash away our misdeeds of the past year. Then we will have a potluck back at the Bothwell Center (5:30) followed by a secular humanistic Rosh Hashanah observance (7:00-8:00). This is a child friendly but not child-centered event.
Date: Sept. 9
Time: 4:30 to 8:30pm
Place: Bothwell Arts Center, Livermore
Cost: Free to members; $10 per non-member adult
Little Garden Jewish Playgroup
Join us Fridays September 14-October 12 and October 19-November 16 between 10:15am-11:15am at Temple Isaiah’s Gan Ilan Preschool to welcome Shabbat and explore activities designed to promote learning and development for children ages 12 months – three-years-old and their caregivers. Using the Jewish calendar as our guide adults and children will enjoy play-based learning facilitated by an expert early childhood educator. Children will engage in art, science, sensory, and gross motor curriculum while adults learn more about how to incorporate Jewish rituals, traditions, and experiences at home. This program is an excellent way to become familiar with the best practice educational approach we deliver in our preschool, Gan Ilan, and includes time spent outside in our garden. Families are encouraged to attend both Sing Shalom and Little Garden for a morning of fun and learning!
Dates: Fridays, September 14-October 12 and October 19-November 16
Time: 10:15am-11:15am
Place: Temple Isaiah’s Gan Ilan Preschool, 945 Risa Rd., Lafayette
Cost: $75 per 5-week session
Co-sponsored by PJ Library.
Register at https://temple-isaiah.org/education/little-garden/
How to Read the Bible:
Bridging the Gap between Ourselves and our inherited Texts
To many contemporary readers, the Bible often feels impenetrable and outdated, principally because of the manner in which Jewish texts have been taught in religious schools for generations. This course will explore methods for reading the Bible that are central to liberal Judaism’s orientations to reading sacred texts, but are not frequently utilized in synagogue settings. We will discuss myth and metaphor and the Bible’s literary history in order to uncover the ancient meanings of several of the Bible’s classic narratives and its law codes, and to determine their relevance to modern day Jews and the world in which we live.
Dates: Tuesdays, October 16 – November 6
Times: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Place: Emanu-El, 2 Lake Street, San Francisco
Cost: Sliding scale tuition. See details here
Jewish Yoga
Join us as we bring in Shabbat with movement, chants and intention. Wear comfortable clothing you can move in. Bring your own mat if you have one. If not, you can borrow one of ours! Led by Rabbi Copeland.
Date: Friday, August 31
Time: 6:00 pm
Place: Sha’ar Zahav, 290 Dolores St., San Francisco